In addition to increasing longevity, hormone replacement therapy can help to address many of the changes we experience as we grow older. Estrogen therapy is associated with healthier and younger-looking skin in women.
HRT is also known to help women maintain softer, smoother skin, resulting in a younger look. In addition to—and, often, as a result of—these physical changes, HRT often changes how you see yourself. In very real ways, using HRT to address symptoms of hormonal change can help you feel younger.
It can also help improve your muscle mass and bone density, which can help you stay active and independent as you age. While HRT cannot reverse the ageing process, it can help you to age gracefully and maintain your health as you get older.
Estrogen isn't the fountain of youth – even if it does help prevent some wrinkles, it isn't a cure-all for aging. Hormones are only one part of what ages your skin over time. Embracing your skin as it changes and taking part in a good skincare regimen can also help keep your skin healthy in menopause.
The Menopause and Skin Aging
Many of these effects can be reversed by estrogen replacement which increases epidermal hydration, skin elasticity and skin thickness as well as reducing skin wrinkles and augmenting the content and quality of collagen and the level of vascularisation.
In contrast, a randomised, double-blind trial with oral conjugated oestrogen therapy, detected a 30% increase in dermal thickness after only 12 months. An increase in skin hydration has been demonstrated after 6 months use of topical 0.01% estradiol and 0.3% estriol for six months.
The hormone estrogen is responsible for making skin look younger due to the hyaluronic acid it produces. Estrogen not only affects your skin but also your muscle mass, metabolism, and energy levels.
Best Time to Start Hormone Replacement Therapy
So the best practice guidelines currently state that the ideal time to start HRT is within 10 years of the initiation of menopause, or under the age of 60.
Estrogens have significant effects on skin physiology and modulate epidermal keratinocytes, dermal fibroblasts and melanocytes, in addition to skin appendages including the hair follicle and the sebaceous gland. Importantly, skin aging can be significantly delayed by the administration of estrogen.
Most people perform hormone replacement therapy (HRT) to look younger. Hormone replacement therapy is done to boost the energy level in the body so that a proper younger look, libido, and metabolism can be maintained even if our body ages.
Sequential HRT
Most women take this type of HRT for around four years, or until they reach 55 (whichever comes first). By 55, most women's periods have stopped. Sequential HRT contains oestrogen and progestogen. You take oestrogen every single day and the progestogen is taken with this for half of the month.
When to stop taking HRT. Most women are able to stop taking HRT after their menopausal symptoms finish, which is usually two to five years after they start (but in some cases this can be longer). Gradually decreasing your HRT dose is usually recommended, rather than stopping suddenly.
Conclusions: Hormone treatment in transwomen induces an increase in cheek tissue and a decrease in jaw tissue. In transmen a tendency of decrease in cheek tissue and an increase in jaw tissue was found. These changes are in the direction of the desired gender. Tebbens M, Nota NM, Liberton NPTJ, et al.
For women who start HRT more than 10 or 20 years after menopause starts or when they're age 60 or older, the risks of HRT are greater than the benefits because HRT is linked to a higher risk of heart disease, stroke, blood clots, and dementia.
Many women believe that taking HRT will make them put on weight, but there's no evidence to support this claim.
Estrogen can ease vaginal symptoms of menopause, such as dryness, itching, burning and discomfort with intercourse. Need to prevent bone loss or fractures. Systemic estrogen helps protect against the bone-thinning disease called osteoporosis.
Hormone therapy can be extremely beneficial for bone health purposes for women up to the age of 60 years, and in some circumstances women may continue hormone therapy after this age, depending on their general health, family history and bone density / history of fracture.
One alternative that is now generating substantial interest is phytoestrogens and in particular a group called isoflavones. These are compounds found in foods that can behave in a similar way to oestrogen in the body.
Overall, you may gain or lose weight once you begin hormone therapy, depending on your diet, lifestyle, genetics and muscle mass. Your eyes and face will begin to develop a more feminine appearance as the fat under the skin increases and shifts.
The hyaluronic acid produced by estrogen helps your skin look younger and helps you maintain your body mass, energy and metabolism levels. Progesterone is the regulatory hormone for balancing estrogen levels. Progesterone also decreases your body's reliance on the hormone cortisol, which ages the skin.
While you may start feeling a difference within a few days or weeks, it usually takes longer for HRT to achieve its full effects. Three to six months is a reasonable trial period for systemic HRT, which includes pills, patches, sprays and gels. If you haven't seen an improvement by this point, speak to your doctor.
Men and women concerned with low energy and increasing fatigue can experience the energy benefits of HRT (hormone replacement therapy).
Don't lose faith if you don't see an immediate improvement after starting HRT. It can take several weeks for your symptoms to settle, and sometimes up to three months. This is why your doctor will usually wait until three months have passed before checking in to see how things are going.
Estrogen is an essential component of skin function, health and wellness. It has been shown to improve skin elasticity, hydration and thickness.